My Little One
by Between Dreams
Summary: Fall seven times, stand up eight. Thrown into the world at a young age with no one beside him. Haku can't seem stand up anymore. Zabuza may be able to help. And may find himself being lifted in the process. Will be reposted with spell check soon
1. Chapter 1

My Little One

By: _Between Dreams _

Prologue

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

- Japanese proverb

Zabuza's POV

Haku how could you do this to me. You were nothing but my tool...my weapon. You were not meant to become more than that. How is it that you. The same boy I picked up out of the icy gutter, the unwanted orphan. The most despised of all in your village. How is it that you captured my interest so?

You were hated for being of a feared blood line. I was hated for being the 'Demon of the Mist'. I killed thousands without so much as a good reason. I just struck down whomever my employers instructed. It was my job. My life.

You...You to my knowledge had never committed a single sin. You are all but at the tender age of five or six. It's hard to tell your age, the way your body looks so weak and frail. It seem's to want to fail you any minuet. Can you not even trust you body anymore? What more do you have? What did you ever have? When is the last time you ate? When is the last time you were granted the opportunity to bath? Have you ever been wanted by anyone? Have you ever been needed be someone?

You're trembling terribly you know? What am I thinking? Of course you know you're freezing to death. Huddled into yourself on the snowy bridge. With the weather and judging by the look of you, you wont survive the night. Do you realize that as well little one? Why do you not seek better shelter? You just sit huddled in the path of the icy wind dawning nothing more than a thin T-shirt and pants. If I dare call them that. I believe 'Rags' would be a far more suitable term. Are your feet as cold and numb as they appear little one?

I catch myself and realize that I've been standing directly across you on the bridge, and have been surveying you for some time now. Do you even know that I'm here staring at you? Or is it that you simply you do not care? I see small foot prints indented in the snow on the ledge of the bridge. They look to be about your size. Did you really consider such a thing? To take your own life, at such a young age? I didn't even know a child of your youth could even comprehend such a deed. But then again judging by the state of thing's, the state of you. I would have done the same. Hmm...I did try the same thing, many times. I wonder if it would be for the same reasons? Are you alone? Clearly. Are you thought to be worthless? Yes you are, aren't you? You have no reason to live do you? So why not jump? End it all? Or are you still here for the same reason as I? Your a coward. Are you, like I not afraid to send others to there graves, but terrified of death yourself? No that isn't it is it? You hold far to much innocence to be a killer. I realize that now. But it seem's that death is upon you whether you wish it to be or not. I shall leave you in your peace, to die alone and unwanted. Just like I can assume you've been for so long.

I continue walking. My destination lies on the other side of that bridge. I must pass you to reach it. Why do I have the sickening feeling that if I cross through your path, I will regret it? I already know that there is no alternate path leading out of the village, or at least not anymore leading to were I wish to be. Although as of this moment any other surrounding's would be preferred.

With all the courage that I posses I take a hesitant step forward, as if on que you seem to notice me. You're shaking increased didn't it? Yes you're scared aren't you? Scared of what little one? Surly not of me? You are much too young to have heard of my reputation of Zabuza the Demon assassin. So why do you recoil from a stranger? As I continue my steady approach, my answer becomes painfully clear. Painfully to you that is. Do though's bruises littering you're body like flies to rotting meat mean what I think to be correct? Yes, I am right aren't I? My, you really are hated aren't you? I will not help add onto or lighten that load of hatredaimed at youlittle one. Your on your own, just like you always will be.

Good riddance to you little one mayhap we meet in Hell. But you will be waiting there alone for some time, for I do not intend on dying tonight as you have no choice but to do. So I bid you farewell. Goodbye my little one.

End Prologue

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

My Little One

By: Between Dreams

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I hold no possesionover Naruto.

'Conscience'

'Thought'

"Speech"

**Overall POV**

The dark was creeping up fast over the world, the weather had started to get ugly in the damp forest as Zabuza strode along the path to his temporary 'home'. It was a old abandoned cottage in the wood's. A little to perky for his liking. The flower pot's on the window sill's would prove for good target practice in the summer; he'd told himself. The house was painted a light dusty green, again to perky but it made it hard to see in the forest. It kept out the wind, and most of the cold. It would have to do. And as an added bonus the house came with all the furniture, as old and torn up as they were, and working appliances. It was a simple one story house, a kitchen, living room, a small bedroom and a smaller spare room. The bathroom was attached to the main bedroom and hallway. The inside of the house was painted either a simple beige or white. Which he didn't mind at all. But the amount of window's in the simple cottage would be enough to make anyone nervous. To which Zabuza had made quick work of boarding them up. And in turn, making the house a lot less inviting, perfect. Zabuza didn't need people stopping by, so to speak.

As he entered, he was hit by a shocking temperature change. The bitter cold driven away by the unexpected warmth of the house. After brushing a few stray snow flack's from his shoulders, and locking the door. He made his way over to the fridge to find it -as always- bare of anything even remotely edible. With a sigh and a death glare at the fridge, as if it were all it's fault, he retreated into his bedroom to get some well earned rest. The day hadn't been relatively that long or hard. But for some reason he felt exhausted. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally.

After striping down to his boxer's, he decided that wasn't the best idea and found an old loose sweater and baggy pants to wear. He laid down on his lumpy, but still comfortable mattress with a large sigh. The wind still hadn't let up since he'd left the kid on the bridge

'NO! Damn it. Don't think about the little welp' He clenched his eye's shut. But the image of the little boy sitting in the snow dying, played under his eyelids like an unwantedslideshow.

"Damn it!" He cursed loudly to the ceiling. He rolled around on his bed for a while, trying to become comfortable, but soon gave up.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. And made his way over to his book collection. Or more over, the two book's absently thrown in the corner. One, a small Ninja hand book, and two,a book Zabuza had found in the house when he'd moved in. A small pocket size version of 'Young Years Best loved Stories and Poems for small children' It was something Zabuza had been meaning to burn for month's now.But had ended up thrown in the corner and forgotten, until now. The very time he was trying to not think about the kid he'd left to die. He found a book that reminded him of the very thing he was trying to forget.

With an angry kick the book of fairy tails went flying into the opposite corner with a pile of clothes. Annoyed, Zabuza went back to the bed and began reading where he'd left of in his ninja hand book.

Chapter 3: Ninja First Aid.

Poisons...30-36

Blood Loss...37-39

Broken Bones...40-42

Head Injuries...43-44

'_**Hypothermia**_'...45-47

The word seemed to jump off the page and kick him in the eye. To which he also threw the book into the pile of clothes.

Zabuza unconsciously shivered. The house had seemed warm when he'd first entered. But that was only when being compared to the storm outside.

'_God, ifyour this cold in here, just think of how cold the kid must be_'

"OH SHUT THE HELL UP!" He caught himself and realized he was yelling at himself.

'_Are you really going to just leave that little boy to die_?' His conscience asked.

"Yes" He stated firmly, but a little to quickly, even for his liking.

'_Really_?'

"YES!"

_'Really, Really_?'

This time he hesitated. Could he really leave that little creature outin the cold? Why did this child's death plague his thought's when people died everyday. Most of the time by his hand's. It was confusing him to no end. And he wasn't an easily confused man. Why did he care about this boy?

'Why do I care?' There was something about that boy that put him on edge. He wanted to know what. 'Yes that's why I'm going back, I'm just curious.' Again he caught himself at an odd time. Without ever realizing it he had changed, put on his shoes and had his hand on the now unlocked door nob. 'Wait, what am I doing?' He sighed at himself. He knew perfectally well what he was doing. He was going to save the child's life.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

--****

My Little One

By: Between Dreams

Chapter 2

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

- Japanese proverb

A/N:Can someone tell me what Haku's mother and father's name are PLEASE .

'_I'm c-cold_'Haku had been sitting on the same snow covered bridge, for about half a day now. He was cold, numb, and sick. This had all started about a month ago. What was once a happy family, was torn apart by a lie, that turned out to be true. Haku once belonged to that happy home. His younger years were nothing but kisses, and bed-time stories. He had never wanted for anything, and thought he never would. His Mother was a beauty beyond compare, even at his young age, he could tell. She was the kindest person in the whole town, or so Haku assumed. Never being aloud to leave the 'safety' of the yard without his mother, caused him to grow up 'very' sheltered. His father had been a relatively nice man, considering Haku almost never saw him. His mother had always been...well, cautious around her husband; you could say.

What no one knew was that she was from a 'very' feared blood line. And would be killed on sight if anyone knew. She tried to never used the advanced blood line trait, for fear of being discovered. But as hard as she tried, she could not deny the fact that she had handed the blood trait down her son, Haku. She had bagged and pleaded with him, not to use any of the little 'water tricks' he had learned as a child

**--Flash back-- **

Haku came running from the house happily yelling for his mother.

"Okasan...Okasan?"

"I'm in the garden Hake" Came her reply. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of Haku, bounding from the house, and down the stone walkway, that lead to a beautiful herb garden. It was surrounded by tree's a way's away from the house. Haku was drenched, and trying franticly to get his unoccupied hand into his shirt sleeve. He had apparently jumped out of the bath and dressed in quiet a hurry, to tell her something.

Her smile dropped as fast as her heart beat when Haku came around the bend, and into clear sight. In her son's hand was a levitating ball of water.

"Look Okasan it dose what ever I tell it to." He maneuver the ball into a flat sheet of water, and while giving a concentrated look, he succeeded in turning it into a sheet of ice.

"Honey were are you?" She heard her husband call from the kitchen. Apparently having gotten off work early.

"Oh, I'm gonna go show Otosan what I can do" Haku smiled brightly

In a panic, she slapped her son across the face, as hard she could. Haku dropped the ice sheet. Filling the surrounding wood's with the sound of braking glass. He laid there on the ground tears falling faster then he could stop them. No one had ever struck him before, least of all his own loving mother. He was snapped out of his thought's when delicate, yet oddly strong hand's grabbed his shoulders, and shook him roughly.

"You are NEVER to do that again! Do you understand me!" She yelled loud enough to scare Haku, but not loud enough to be heard by her husband. Haku nodded vigorously, but at the same time not understanding why she was saying what she was.

"You wait here!" With that, she let him fall back to the ground. And headed back to the house.

After a while, she'd come down the path again, with a wet face cloth in hand. She first wiped the tears away from his face, being carful not to rub to hard on the growing bruise. Then spoke in a low tone.

"Haku...I'm so sorry!" She was also in tears at this point. She sat down next to the still crying Haku, and lifted him on to her lap, and drew him into a tight embrace. She leaned her head on top of his, and spoke again. "Haku you have to try to understand...It wasn't you it was just..." She led off. After a few deep breath's, she started again "Haku what I'm trying to say is that..." She led off again. Even thought Haku was only five, he could still put the pieces of this puzzle together. His mother had looked shocked at his waterability. But it turned to fear when his father had called. It was quiet clear for him, in it's own childish way.

"It's okay mommy. I forgive you. I won't do any water trick's anymore." He said. "And especially not in front of Otosan." He added with a shy smile.

For the second time that day, a look of pure shock crossed the face of Haku's mother. Then quickly turned into a knowing smile. She hugged him tightly one more time, and stood with him in her arms. They both dried there tears, and made there way in for dinner.

That night at the table was not like all the others. His father suspected something. When he questioned Haku on his bruised check.

"I fell." Haku made the mistake of looking his father right in the eye. Those eye's boring into his very soul. It made him visibly shudder. Yet another mistake. Could he do nothing right today?

"You fell on what?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"On the kitchen floor dear. I had just finished moping, and I'm afraid Haku didn't realize it." But alas, even she was full of mistakes this evening. For she had replied much to quickly for her own good. And to her horror, it was all to clear that the floor in the kitchen, was still married with yesterday's dirt.

The glare he shot at his two lying family member's, was a clear indication that he did not in any way believe them. And his blunt words were enough to guarantee that fact.

"Don't lie to me!" A sudden smirk played on his face, as a thought came to him.

"The neighbor's and I had a little conversation today." Another glare this time focused at Haku's mother.

"It seem's you have some very interesting way's of getting your water from the well, to you're precious herb garden." It was true. She had on one occasion the day before, used her ability. There was a large nest of garden snake's in front of the well. She had always been terrified of snakes. After checking that no one was around; not even Haku. She froze the water in the well and lifted it over her garden to thaw it. The summer in the land of the Mist, only lasted for a month, if even that. They were mostly only graced with snow. So the sunny day could not go ignored. And one day without water would surly condemn her plants.

That sunny day had apparently been to hard to resist for the neighbor's children as well. She had heard them in the bushes after she had completed her watering, and prayed to the dear God that they hadn't seen anything. God must not of heard her prayer, for here she was, boring into the eye's of her husband to search for any killing intent, and the sad thing is, she found some. In one swift movement she was pinned to the wall. Her husband's breath hot upon her face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was dangerously low, as he seethed through his clenched teeth.

"I...I didn't know" The fact that she was a mother, was probably the reason that the only thing on her mind was, 'Oh God thank you, he doesn't know about Haku. As long as he's safe."

"LIAR!" She was slammed onto the wall again, before a hand grabbed a fist full of her delicate hair, and roughly dragged her into the kitchen. Haku had fallen from his place at the table. And now he lay in a heap on the dining room floor. He tried so hard to will his body to move, but it remained there, stillon the floor. The sight of his mother being dragged away, was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He had never been good with stress. It usually did made him sick. He had the feeling that something horrible was happening to his mother, and he couldn't stop it. But then again he hadn't tried yet, had he? He tried again to stand. This time he succeeded...well sort of. He had to lean on the wall to remain upright, as he slowly made his way closer to the source of the blood curdling scream's. As his hand reached for the door handle, the screaming suddenly stopped. The door slid open in a smooth manner, by the hand of his father, to reveal his mother's corpse. Fresh blood lined one of the walls. She had apparently slid down after, what Haku could only assume, being stabbed. His eye's followed a trail of blood droplet's, along the floor board's, and to a hand tightly griping one of the old antiques swords that was kept above the mantle. Up to a blood smeared arm and shoulder. Haku was afraid to look any higher then that, afraid that he would see the man he called father, a man he barely knew.

"Haku?" The voice of his father was indeed the voice he heard, just as his fear had predicted. A hand, tightly yet somewhat gently grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at the speaker. His mind and body screamed for him to run. But once again he was rendered paralyzed.

"Haku..." Came a soothing voice this time. "Please try to understand. She wasn't human...I had to do it."

It wasn't until he heard this did his stomach lurch. He stumbled out of the kitchen, into the dining room, and out the front door in record time. He spilled out the contents of his stomach off the front steps. He continued this until there was nothing left to dispose of, and was left with painful gasps and gag's. Tear's fell from burning eye's as his mind reeled, in the thick fog it had been plunged into. It wasn't making scents anymore, nothing was. What had just happened? Did anything just happened? Or was it all a dream?

A strong hand was placed on his back, and the other grabbed hold of his shoulder to steady him. 'Who's hand's are these?' his head began to throb, as the world around him started to spin. He was finding it harder and harder to breath.

"Haku...? I need you to try to breath for me okay?... Don't worry she's gone, she can't hurt us okay? Just try to calm down please." 'Who was talking to him and what were they talking about?' Images flashed into Haku' s mind. Blood, that was all he could see. The images of his mother tucking him in bed, and kissing him good night, while listening to his prayers, were all dripping with blood. Like looking though a red screen. Her screams were burned in his mind. His mind couldn't take it. It wanted to shut down, and he let it. He let himself fall.Fall into an uncomfortable darkness, and into the arms of a stranger.**--End flash back-- **


End file.
